At the independent K-8 school where I work, I recently helped initiate a group called CATIE: Conversations about Technology Integration in Education.

In our first few meetings, we have taken valuable steps. For one thing, we have a working  mission: to establish a learning community of educators who will discuss ways to leverage technology integration in support of the school’s mission, vision, and strategic plans. We have established preliminary goals, such as encouraging student-centered learning, and finding opportunities to share our own strengths and strategies with one another during meetings, observations, and in-service days.

Recently, CATIE used a shared Google spreadsheet to  brainstorm areas of expertise among ourselves that we could share. The columns included: Name / Effective Practice I Can Share /  Ways I Can Share / Best Times for Me to Share / Link (If Any)
Getting very meta, some folks in CATIE dove into the Google spreadsheet but pointed out that sharing Google docs is, itself, a great area for our faculty to explore together.

So, at a later full faculty meeting we invited all teachers to view and contribute to our spreadsheet. We ended up with people signing up to share on a wide variety of topics, including why, how, and when to effectively integrate document cameras into lessons, how to help students research and write using Noodle Tools, how and when to consider integrating “flipped instruction” techniques, and more.

With such a good start to our entirely volunteer group, I feel a responsibility to maintain it and build upon it well. I worry about how to find the time in everyone’s busy schedules, how to differentiate for our diverse needs and interests, and how to make the group as inclusive and accessible as possible.

I share this because my PLN helped inspire CATIE, and I am hoping someone will share further inspiration about how I can facilitate the group successfully. Also, I wrote it in case you needed inspiration to start a group of your own. I wrote it because I believe deeply in the power of connected educators to collaborate in ways that improve schools and learning for all stakeholders. Don’t you? Please comment!